Clean Tech in Court: Green Patent Complaint Update

A number of green patent complaints have been filed in the last several weeks, with LED lighting continuing to be the most litigated area. Complaints were also filed in smart grid and soil and groundwater remediation technologies.

A previous update reported on LED Tech Development’s (LED Tech) suits against Home Depot and Coleman.

The company substantially expanded its patent enforcement campaign recently with three new complaints against Apple, Samsung and Fujitsu, filed in federal court in Delaware on October 11th, October 15th, and November 9th, respectively.

The Apple complaint asserts U.S. Patent No. 6,095,661, entitled “Method and Apparatus for an L.E.D. Flashlight” (‘661 Patent), U.S. Patent No. 7,393,119, entitled “Method and apparatus for constant light output pulsed L.E.D. illumination” (‘119 Patent), U.S. Patent No. 6,488,390, entitled “Color-adjusted camera light and method” (‘390 Patent), and U.S. Patent No. 6,808,287, which is related to the ‘661 Patent, entitled “Method and apparatus for a pulsed L.E.D. illumination source” (‘287 Patent), and directed to a hand held portable LED device that maintains a predetermined light output level by selectively applying pulsed power from a DC voltage source to the LED units.

LED Tech alleges that certain Apple products utilizing pulse-width modulation signals to drive light-emitting diodes are infringing the asserted patents, including the iPad3 and the Macbook Pro.

Filed October 18, 2012 in the Southern District of New York, Altman’s complaint accuses Lightronics of infringing U.S. Patent No. 8,152,332 (‘332 Patent). Altman is a Yonkers, New York, stage lighting company. According to Altman, a particular wash lighting fixture made by the Virginia-based lighting and control systems company infringes the ‘332 Patent.

The ‘332 Patent is entitled “LED cyclorama light” and directed to a cyclorama light containing an LED array.

Smart Grid

IP Co. v. Crestron Electronics, Inc.

IP Co., d/b/a Intus IQ has been an active non-practicing patentee in smart grid (see, e.g., here), and continued that trend recently with a lawsuit against New Jersey-based Crestron Electronics.

According to a complaint filed October 29, 2012 in the Eastern District of Texas, Crestron is directly infringing, contributorily infringing and inducing infringement of U.S. Patent No. 6,044,062 (‘062 Patent) by its sale of infiNET wireless lighting control and automation systems.

The ‘062 Patent is entitled “Wireless network system and method for providing same” and directed to certain wireless network systems having a server providing a gateway between two networks.